The tune-up worked wonders for Floria die Fleddermoose. By replacing the rear wheel, I did away with a hub that was well past its prime. It has been a relative joy to bike to and from work. I was thinking this as I rode home today and decided I would pop round the bike shop to pay my compliments. As I got a bit further on, I noticed that there was a bit of a grinding sensation when I pushed down on the left pedal. At a red light, I investigated, thinking that maybe a bearing had gone in the left pedal, which would be not big deal as pedals are cheap and easily within my ability to replace. However, I discovered that the left crank arm seemed to be loose, moving somewhat out of its' usual plane.
I assumed that it was a case that someone at the shop hadn't tightened it as completely as he should have. As I don't have a large enough Allen key, I stopped at the shop on the way home. After complementing the staff on the good job they had done, I described the apparent problem. Steve got the staff to investigate. It seems the person who worked on the crank should have applied Locktite instead of grease at some point in the reassembly of the crank.
The mechanics went to work and got Floria back in shape in ten minutes or so. One of them explained that the crank is on the old side, hence the need for Locktite. He suggested that I consider replacing the crank at some point. I expect I will, but not until it is time for another tune-up.
(I believe he is the same person who, when I dropped off Floria two weeks ago, suggested that I should protect my rims by installing disc brakes. At the time, I explained that while disc brakes would indeed prolong the life of my rims, they would also attract unwanted attention from bike thieves. As die Fleddermoose spends much of her time outdoors, I felt that I was better off buying new rims every few years than buying a new bike. Steve, who knows me better, agreed with my logic.)
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